November White truffle hunt

[Sampaguita]

I Caffi is open on Monday and for Sunday lunch, closed on Sunday night. I would make a reservation if you want to eat at any of Piedmont's better restaurants on a weekend, otherwise you should be OK.

[mdbasile]

Ok - thanks.

Are the Asti festivals on the weekends only?

[Sampaguita]

That right Saturday and Sunday only.

[hathor]

Just a random question from humble Umbria: what would make a black truffle smell like acetone?

We're having a bad, low, truffle season, and some came around that smelled of acetone. What would be up with that??

[Sampaguita]

Just a random question from humble Umbria: what would make a black truffle smell like acetone?

We're having a bad, low, truffle season, and some came around that smelled of acetone. What would be up with that??

←

Hi Judith, yuck, I wouldn't eat them! As for why its a mystery to me, next time I talk to our trifalau I will ask him, were they dried out or fresh? Maybe they had been stored incorrectly. To me black truffles don't really have a smell at all, or not like white ones.

BTW I don't think Umbria is humble! Are white truffles starting to come in down there now?

[petit cochon]

My boyfriend and I did our truffle hunt last week in La Morra with a trifolau who came recommended by our hotel (Corte Gondina). We had a fantastic time - in about two hours we found three small yet (we thought) quite respectable-sized white truffles (somewhere between a large walnut and a small apricot in size, maybe?)- and a couple of black ones as well for good measure. So, depending on your expectations, based on our experience I would be optimistic about your chances of finding at least a couple of truffles!

[hathor]

Just a random question from humble Umbria: what would make a black truffle smell like acetone?

We're having a bad, low, truffle season, and some came around that smelled of acetone. What would be up with that??

←

Hi Judith, yuck, I wouldn't eat them! As for why its a mystery to me, next time I talk to our trifalau I will ask him, were they dried out or fresh? Maybe they had been stored incorrectly. To me black truffles don't really have a smell at all, or not like white ones.

BTW I don't think Umbria is humble! Are white truffles starting to come in down there now?

←

Ciao! No, I didn't want to eat them, or smell them. I'm wondering if somehow they were 'treated' to last a little longer. I don't know, and I can't understand the local dialect well enough to ask the local truffles guys whats up. Besides, they are a 'touchy' lot, if you know what I mean. A wee bit scary.

We've had very, very few white truffles. We've also had almost no rain in close to a year...little bit here and there, but no sustained rains. It's getting pretty serious. Completely killed the porcini season as well.

[Sampaguita]

I suppose we have been luckier as we did have a good rain 2 weeks ago for several days which soaked the ground. Our porcini season was also a non starter, although towns which have porcini festivals seemed to have plenty (Croatia again, or maybe Romanian imports?) . I have just been picking wild mushrooms here in our woods last week too.

[davythefatboy]

We went to the truffle festival in Montechiaro D'Asti on November 4th and enjoyed it quite a bit. At first it looked like a New York City street fair with the same vendors selling the same trinkets (clothing, household goods) at every fair, but we quickly got to the food section and it seemed quite local (except perhaps the truffles). One of the truffle guys for some reason gave us a free sample of a bit of black truffle (10 or 12 slivers worth). Maybe we looked like big spending Americans who would buy a white one (we didn't).

Swiss Chef had mentioned that the local restaurant in Zanco (a few minutes away) kept two truffle dogs in a kennel out front and which would be a good place for truffles, so went. It's a one street town, but very little commercial, we got to the church (which we expected would be the center of town) and found a dead end and no restaurant. We turned around and started the other way. There was a guy coming out of his house, and we asked in our broken Italian for the local restaurant. He asked if it would be easier if he answered in English, and we said yes, are you by any chance Swiss Chef? And indeed he was.

He sent us to the restaurant and invited us back for coffee.

We arrived at Da Maria around 2:00 Sunday afternoon, and they were packed, but they greeted us warmly. (We know that in Italy most restaurants do one seating.) When they found we mostly spoke English, a guy who seemed like the assistant chef came to translate, learned we were from New York (and vegetarian!) and said he'd check with his boss if they could seat us. He came back and asked that we wait about half an hour. They gave us some very nice sparkling white wine, and had us wait on the patio (great view of some autumn foliage and the next hill town over). Half an hour later they invited us in, and sat us at a table right in front of the kitchen passthrough. It turned out to be an amazing "chef's table" experience.

The chef, Giorgio, who also spoke English quite well, came and asked who was the vegetarian. His face fell a bit when I told him both of us, but he kept going, suggesting a meal - antipasto, pasta, cheese. He suggested a pasta with Porcini, and we inquired about Tartufo Bianco. He said sorry, there were no local truffles to be had, it had been too dry a year, and they were all from Bulgaria, Romania or elsewhere (and clearly beneath his dignity to serve).

They asked if we wanted red or white wine, still or not, and we said still red wine. They brought us a delicious Barberra del Monferrato (Castello di Lignano, Valisenda). We spent the rest of our time in Piemonte trying various Barbera's and never had one as good.

The starter was goat cheese on greens with a balsamic topping (and some ground nuts). The balsamic was subtle, and it was a great combination. Then peperoni with bagna cauda. We're not anchovy lovers (did I mention we're vegetarian), but it was quite good.

Then they brought a dish of sliced porcini covered with slices of a somewhat aged cheese (Toma?) and a bit of black pepper, red pepper, and wonderful olive oil. This was a fantastic pairing.

The chef kept coming by and talking and offered next a taste of a risotto with cheese that he was making for someone else. It was scrumptious. Meanwhile we noticed a waiter bring half a white truffle to the kitchen on a truffle slicer. We wondered if Romanian truffles were good enough to serve the locals? Then they brought us our tagliatelle with porcini - covered with white truffle shavings! The chef explained that a guest had brought his own truffle, and shared it with the kitchen (who then shared it with us!). Sublime.

Then the cheese course - the best of our trip. No mostarda, no fruit, no nuts, no honey. The chef brought a huge board of 12 to 15 cheeses, all from Piemonte, said that these are cow, these are goat, these are sheep, here's the knife, help yourself. We tried about six of them, mostly harder cheeses, and they were all spectacular. We asked the name of what looked like Pecorino Sardo, and he said it was Pecorino from Piemonte, no special name.

We were stuffed, and said no dolci, but they brought some local cookies (torchelli?) with Moscato D'Asti. Then espresso. I've probably forgotten something along the way. Like that each of the staff who spoke English stopped by our table at one point - including one waiter who had been a moonie in New York twenty years before, but had returned to his roots.

This was by far our favorite meal of the trip - the incredible hospitality, the simple clear flavors, the perfect combinations of perfect ingredients. They brought the check - 30 Euro per person. We reminded them they'd forgotten to charge for the wine. They said it was all inclusive.

Then we found our way back to Swiss Chef's house, and had coffee and cookies and a delightful visit with him and his wife. Swiss Chef swore that he had not called the restaurant to say we were coming - their warmth and hospitality was unprompted. It was dark by the time we headed back to Bra, and we were both sated and satiated, both by food and conversation.

Oh, the joys of Italy!

Edited November 11, 2007 by davythefatboy (log)

[mdbasile]

Thanks all for the help. We went on our hunt with Mario(man) and Rocky(dog) on Monday. Nicola and Chris @ La Villa arraned the "hunt." First of all La Villa is a great place and Nicola was extreemly helpful - they have a great spot and wonderful hotel near Mombaruzzo....Anyway - so off we go to the truffle field and basically walk around while the dog does all the work. We hadf very little luck - just finding a small white one, but it was a fun experience and Mario is a very easy going guy. I would recomend going with him for sure. He gave us the little one we found. Luckily the day prior had been better and Mario sold us a couple of nice ones @ in the ground prices. For those who have been pheasant hunting @ a private hunting club -- it is bascially the same conditions without the guns and pheasants.... I Caffi was fantastic - thank you for that.... had to use my French cause no english spoken....thanks again all - hopefull next year will bring more May rains and bigger crop.

[mdbasile]

Looks like there has been some good rains this May - does that bode well for November truffles like Mario told me????

[pedalaforte]

I'll ask when I get there one week from now! You know, of course, that I went in late November -- not the best of truffle years but extremely enjoyable nonetheless. And, we had our fill!

I'd guess that the rains would have to come closer to the harvest to affect the things, but it's only a guess. That is, wet brings 'em out, and since they aren't going to come out now, the effect would be minimal. No? Are you heading back?

Ciao

[hathor]

Rain in May only helps if the same rain shows up in October! I sure hope its better than last year. We had nothing but eastern European truffles masquerading as local truffles. Dry. Dry. Dry. Although its been a fairly rainy spring, so we keep our fingers crossed.

edit for p.s. I'm in Umbria, so pay me no mind.

Edited May 30, 2008 by hathor (log)

[pedalaforte]

Wait! You're IN Umbria. We will ALWAYS be jealous and pay you mind!

[mdbasile]

How is it looking this year - seems like there is some good sept rains - no?

[dfunghi]

Current thread over in Dining section http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=118430. Maybe they could merge into one. I started the thread on the other board but maybe should have started here? I have not been on EG much in the past year and this new split discussion system takes some getting used to to know where to post what. Of course old fogys like me never take well to change.

[mdbasile]

got some good rains here in Nice - how about alba?

[divina]

I was given a tip that the first white truffles will be for sale in Florence tomorrow!

the hunt is on!

Tuscany has white truffles ( and festivals ) from San Miniato ( inland from Pisa) to San Giovanni d'Asso ( south of Siena)